Twelve Days North of Hopeless
by Incarnate Firefly
Summary: When Thor takes Loki back to Asgard to answer for his actions in New York, a strange turn of events brings them to an island called Berk. With Loki on the loose and the Tesseract missing, Thor recruits Hiccup and his dragon-riding friends to help him find them and figure out a way to get back home. Collaboration with Aryea, author of When a Boy Becomes a Man.
1. Prologue

**[Author's Note]  
**This idea popped into my head a few weeks ago and it's just held on stubbornly since then. So, I've finally decided to write a crossover even though it's not something I would usually do. But I love this idea too much to let it go. Not really the way I imagined I'd break into the business of HTTYD fanfic writing, but I'm willing to see how this turns out.

I approached Aryea to help me with plot ideas and writing in this project. For those of you who avidly read HTTYD fanfics, you may know her as the author of _When a Boy Becomes a Man_ and its sequels, _When a Man Becom__es a Chief_ and _When a Chief Becomes a Father_. I've been a fan since the first book, so I am absolutely thrilled to have her on board.

For those of you who are familiar with my previous works, you may know me to write very dark, serious stories that usually don't have a happy ending. Never fear, this book will be a whirlwind of light-hearted laughs and stupidity and just a sprinkle of heart to it. Enjoy!

* * *

_Written and edited by Incarnate Firefly_

* * *

A year ago, Thor would have laughed at the idea of safety in numbers. But recently his confidence in his own abilities had taken a severe beating. Which, all things considered, was really saying something. The other Avengers had come to witness him escorting Loki off of their planet, and although they were unarmed (most of them, at least; he wouldn't have been surprised if Romanoff had a knife in her boot), he was glad of their presence.

It was only two nights ago that he had discovered Loki was alive. Heimdall saw him as soon as he had resurfaced in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground laboratory, and informed Odin with all haste. When the All-Father heard the news, Thor couldn't help but feel unnerved by the simultaneous fury and resolve he saw in his countenance. And when Odin summoned Sif and ordered her to bring Völva, the shamanic witch, to him, Thor knew how far he was willing to go to bring Loki back to Asgard. He volunteered to be the one to do it, even though he did not want to at all.

Odin did not hesitate. By his command, Völva gathered her resources as quickly as she could, brought Thor away from the eyes of the Asgardians, and cast a dark spell that ripped a hole through the heart of Yggdrasil to open a passageway to Earth. The procedure was nightmarish and Thor hoped he would never need to resort to such horrifying measures again for any reason. It was enough to fuel his determination not to fail in finding Loki and the Tesseract.

Now, he was holding one objective encased in a carefully sealed container, while the other was chained and muzzled, eyeing him reproachfully in silence. Despite his success, Thor wondered how he was possibly going to ever be at peace with what Loki had become. He did not look forward to returning to Asgard and bringing him before Odin. He did not know if he could stand by and try to look indifferent as his brother received his long-awaited judgement. He did not have the strength to comfort Frigga when she would weep for the remorse that Loki refused to show. He did not want to hear the empty words of reassurance from his friends that it wasn't his fault, that he had done the right thing.

It was easy to understand what Loki was after. Power. Supremacy. A chance to be revered, to be recognized for once as the greatest entity in the eyes of many. Thor wished he could believe that Loki's ambitions could be curbed by whatever punishment Odin had in mind for him, that he could show repentance if Frigga could persuade him to. But he knew fully well that no one could dull Loki's destructive flame through their own intervention.

_He needs to understand that power is not a right for us to take as we see fit,_ he thought wistfully. _It is what we choose to make of ourselves, and our ability to understand what is just that determines our measure._

Wordlessly, Thor held up the cylinder containing the Tesseract, sternly watching his prisoner who grasped the opposite end obediently. Thor gave his companions a final nod of thanks, reminding himself that without them, he might not have had the will to stop Loki. He turned the handle, igniting the Tesseract in a surge of blue light that wrapped over him and Loki and shot up into the sky. He felt the connection take as Heimdall linked the energy tunnel connecting Midgard to Asgard.

Was he paranoid, or did he see a glimmer of anticipation in Loki's eyes? For the first time, it occurred to Thor that perhaps his brother had other plans for their return home. Loki was always one to leave himself a back door in places no one would think of looking. But there was no more time to think as their surroundings began to dematerialize around them. Within seconds, they were gone.

The Avengers remained where they were standing for a moment, as if waiting for a sign that Thor and Loki had made it to Asgard. When the sky returned to its usual blue and and the Tesseract's residue energy dissipated into the air, all that followed was silence. Barton was the first to break it.

"So that's Loki," he remarked. "I wouldn't want to be him right now. Norse god, and all."

Stark scoffed, arms still crossed. "Some god he turned out to be. I've had more frightening confrontations with Pepper on her good days."

"I don't know," said Steve with a smirk. "From what I saw, Thor gave you a pretty hefty run for your money in that forest."

Stark raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, remind me who came to your rescue in Stuttgart when Loki was throwing your 90-year old keister around like a football?"

Romanoff rolled her eyes. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty," she said sarcastically. "Those Norse gods are obviously more than a match for you both, let's leave it at that. If it was the other way around, the Vikings would have worshipped you instead."

Steve looked back up into the sky. "Well, I don't think anyone's going to be worshipping anyone where those two are going."

···

Even though Thor had never travelled through a wormhole using the Tesseract before, it soon became obvious that something was wrong.

The first sign was when the Tesseract's blue glow rapidly intensified into a painfully bright white. Without warning, the metal handle felt scorchingly hot in his palm, but he fought the urge to let go. He could barely make out Loki's outline as they sped through the tunnel; his reaction was impossible to make out. But to his alarm, the energy rays shooting up the wormhole were winking out one by one. Had they done something wrong? Or was the Tesseract acting of its own will? He closed his eyes, willing for their trip to be over already.

By some means beyond the laws of physics, the cylinder suddenly slipped through Thor's fingers. But before he could react, he felt something wrench him from behind, and all he could see was Loki's form tumbling away from him. A split second later, he felt himself falling—no, being pulled down—as well.

He still had Mjölnir held firmly against his chest, but the invisible hands that held him were too strong to break free from. He briefly wondered if he and Loki were being dragged down into Hel itself. _Am I to answer for Loki's actions? Or perhaps my own past failings?_ It hadn't been so long ago that Mjölnir had deemed him worthy to wield it. He had lived in arrogance before that, at times more so than Loki.

In the strangest of ways, the thought was almost comforting. If they were to face judgement now, then they would do it together as brothers. As equals. Loki would finally get his wish.

The darkness around him was giving way to a blur of grey, which then blended into an indiscernible mix of green and blue. Thor gasped as he felt cold air rushing past his face. The pulling sensation was gone, and now he was moving by sheer freefall. Instinctively, he fanned out his arms and legs to slow himself down. He saw that he was coming up fast on a grassy field below—

Not for the first time that day, Thor hurtled into the field at a velocity that would have killed a human being. He felt Mjölnir fly out of his hand as he was flipped several times between ground and air, punching several furrows into the patchy dirt that wasn't as soft as it looked, before sliding to a stop next to some small boulders. A moment later, there was a splash not far off.

He propped himself up with a grunt, extending one hand as he did so. He heard the sound of Mjölnir surfacing through water, and a moment later it slapped into his palm, cold and dripping with water. He stood and straightened to take in his surroundings.

He was in some sort of cove, from the looks of it. The ground was mostly dirt embedded with rocks of various sizes, with clusters of thinly grown grass here and there. Ancient trees reared up well above the surface, some firmly planted on the surrounding overhangs with their gnarled roots stretching along the rock face to seek the soil below. The only visible water source was a large pond encompassing the heart of the cove.

All in all, it was a very peaceful setting. But it didn't change the fact that Thor had no idea where he was. It wasn't Asgard, that was for certain. And it most definitely wasn't Hel.


	2. Introductions

_Written by Aryea and Incarnate Firefly_

_Edited by Incarnate Firefly_

* * *

Thor walked along the edge of the pond, rolling his shoulder experimentally to make sure the arm he landed on was still functioning. When the wormhole had changed course, he had been thrown out of the tunnel faster than he could fly. His entire body felt as if it had been trampled by a herd of rampaging Bilgestipe.

He also noticed how cold it was. There was no snow visible or an icy mist to the air like he'd seen on realms like Jotunheim, but there was a definite, constant chill that would have been imperceptible to anyone observing the scenery from a picture. As Thor looked around in vain for a sign of familiarity, he realized that there was no trace of Loki or the Tesseract.

"Loki!" he called, his voice held both fury and worry for his troublesome brother. "Loki, where are you?"

There was no response. He could make out a faint roar of tidal waves against rock, mingled with the odd chirping of various creatures inhabiting the surrounding forest, but everything was otherwise silent. What could have gone wrong? Had the demon power thrown them into another world, one that was not in the nine realms? How was that possible? Was his brother even alive?

He scowled. Of course Loki was alive, even when he was thought dead he was somehow still alive.

No, there had to be a reason this had happened. Even if they were separated and Thor himself was in this unknown realm while Loki could be in an entirely different one, he had to be sure. He had been entrusted to stop his brother and bring him back to Asgard. He would not forgo that duty.

_At least this time I am not without my hammer or my resilience,_ he thought with some amusement. From the looks of things, he could very well be stranded far from civilization, and he had no intention of dying from exhaustion or starvation.

Something caught Thor's eye. He crouched down and saw that there were a number of bootprints scattered about the cove. They were small, even by human standards. And for some reason, only the tracks made by the right boot were visible; alongside each print, there was a tiny, barely noticeable rectangular imprint on its left. Curious.

Upon closer examination, he noticed the presence of larger prints too, belonging to an unknown creature. There were far fewer of them, but here and there there were sizable patches of ground that had been methodically burned to soot. Thor racked his brains, mentally thinking of all the fire-related species he had encountered in the past. None of them matched the pawprints he was looking at. So was he actually outside the nine realms? Perhaps the Tesseract's place of origin?

A rustling in the trees behind him caught his attention, momentarily distracting him from the mysterious tracks. He stood up and turned about just in time for a large solid form to run into him, sending him sprawling backwards.

However, the almighty Thor was not so easily felled, if you didn't count the times Jane hit him with her car or when he was tased by that crazy intern of hers, anyway. He caught the tail end of the beast that tackled him, managing to stop their advance by swinging Mjölnir's head into the ground. He regained his balance and raised the weapon to the second creature who, in its attempt to stop, kicked up a spray of dirt all over Thor as its claws dug into the ground.

"Hold!" he commanded, and then he got a good look at them. His eyes widened at the pitch-black creature who stared back at him. "A...a dragon?" Dragons were native to Midgard. That meant he was on Earth. _That is impossible...dragons have not roamed Midgard since the end of our wars against the Frost Giants. What in the name of Valhalla is going on?_

The dragon flattened his ears and growled low in his throat, then blinked and sniffed at Mjölnir. There was a strange, child-like curiosity in his round, green eyes.

Thor turned to look at the larger, blue-gold dragon that looked more bird than reptile. "Two dragons." He slowly released the dragon's tail and lowered Mjölnir. "I mean you no harm, my friends. You startled me."

The bird-like dragon wriggled her tail and turned around, sporting a live squawking chicken between her beak.

"Ho, so it is a meal you are after then? I suspect that is some poor farmer's stock. Give it here, now."

The dragon tilted her head and looked at him suspiciously.

Thor snapped his fingers and pointed downward. "Here now! Do as I say at once!"

The blue dragon, startled by the command in the stranger's voice, dropped the bird. Thor picked up the flapping creature by the neck.

"'Tis no way to eat a chicken, feathers and all," he admonished. "It should be killed swiftly and cleanly for the sake of the bird, and then plucked at least."

The black dragon moved closer to Thor, sniffed and decided that he was okay, so he plopped himself down next to him and licked his lips.

Thor smiled at the dragon's docile mannerisms. "Indeed, you are a marvellous creature." He reached for the dragon, but it growled again and he pulled his hand back. "Ah, perhaps when we are better acquainted then?"

"It's not my fault, Hiccup!" came a shrill voice belonging to a young female. Thor turned towards where the dragons had appeared, which was also where the voice was coming from.

"You were the one that threatened to cut back on her chicken!" retorted an equally youthful male voice.

"She's been getting fat!"

"That's why you shouldn't be feeding her chicken! They're supposed to eat fish!"

"You're just saying that because chicken makes her fly faster, and sooner or later she'll beat your dragon!"

"HA! Not a chance, Milady!"

"And besides, Toothless ran off too!"

"Only because Dad needed a dragon for his duties, and he hasn't found a replacement for Thornado yet. If it were me, I'd run too, and..."

Two small, thin teenagers in archaic human clothing entered the cove and paused at the sight before them. Stormfly was practically dancing around a huge man with long blonde hair, wearing a brilliant red cloak and ornate armor. The man was calmly transferring the squawking chicken from one hand to the other to avoid the dragon nipping at it. Toothless, who had been lying beside the stranger, hopped up and wandered cheerfully over to greet them.

Thor raised one hand in greeting, which was somewhat awkward since it was the hand holding the chicken flapping about trying to free itself. "Good day to you. I presume these dragons belong to you?"

"Who in Thor's name are you?" Astrid demanded, her blonde hair bouncing as she twisted her chin defiantly. One hand reached for the axe at her side.

So they've heard of me, Thor thought. He released the chicken, and Stormfly immediately moved to chase after it. "Yes, I am he."

"You're who?" asked Hiccup.

"By whom the fair maiden referred to. Thor."

Astrid stiffened. "How dare you!" She stepped forward with a scowl, axe in hand, but was held back by Hiccup. Thor found it interesting that she actually stopped at the boy's touch.

"Astrid, wait. Let's not kill a stranger before we know who he is."

"Did you hear what he said? He's mocking us! I'm not gonna take that kind of blasphemy!"

Thor placed Mjölnir at his side as a show of peace and held up his hands amicably. "It is not my intent to show disrespect, fair maiden. However, I cannot be anything but who I am. I proclaim honestly that I am Thor of Asgard, son of Odin."

"You're full of—"

"Astrid," Hiccup tugged insistently on her sleeve. His eyes widened as he saw the weapon by the man's hip.

"—yak dung! You can't honestly expect me to believe you're—"

"Astrid..."

"—the son of Odin and—"

"Astrid!" Hiccup caught her chin and tilted her face towards Mjölnir. "Look. Look at the hammer!"

Astrid felt her heart turn over in her chest. "It...can't be. No way."

It hit Hiccup just then. "Uh...ah...sir, we...maybe you...um..." he stammered, reverting back to awkward mode in a heartbeat.

Thor watched the black dragon curl around the young boy, as if sensing he was anxious. His tail rested near the human's left foot, which Thor noticed was a prosthetic made of metal and wood. "Is this dragon yours then?"

"Toothless? Oh, he...well, he's not really mine, I mean I don't own him, he's just my friend."

"Your friend?"

"Yeah. It...it's kinda a long story. Ah...if you really are...um...Thor, why would you be here on Berk?"

"Berk? Is that what this place is called?" Thor looked around him again. "We are upon the realm of Midgard, I presume?"

"Midgard...Earth...oh, yeah..." He exchanged a glance with Astrid, who looked just as perplexed as he was. "That's right. Not sure where else we'd be, really."

Well, this makes everything easier. Thor smiled, glad that he was still on a realm which he was somewhat familiar with. "Very well then. If it's not too much trouble, I shall require directions to New York. Or a means to contact Tony Stark, if you are familiar with him."

Hiccup blinked. "Sorry, name doesn't ring a bell. And what's...'New York'?"

"Err." Thor faltered. "I cannot say, actually. Where is the nearest city?"

"We don't have any around here. Berk is an island, you see."

"Have you no access to aircraft? Telephones? Internet?"

Hiccup and Astrid continued to stare at him as if he were speaking a foreign language. Thor never thought he would meet humans more confused by their own technological terms than he was. This is most perplexing. And impossible...unless...

"What nationality are you part of?" he asked, wondering if his suspicions were correct.

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Nationality? We're Vikings. Does that count?"

Vikings. The Norse seafarers from human civilizations of centuries past. That explained the dragons, the primitive clothing, everything. How in Ragnarök's wrath and fury did this happen?

There was no time to dwell on his predicament. He was here, that would not change by him standing around doing nothing about it. Thor's demeanour became serious, bringing his thoughts back to a more immediate matter at hand. "Have either of you seen another like me, but taller, thinner, with black hair?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No. No, I'm pretty sure we'd remember that."

Thor nodded grimly and stepped forward, watching, impressed, as both Toothless and Astrid immediately put themselves in front of the boy. He was obviously an individual of great importance, at least to them. "Your names were Astrid and...Hiccup, was it?"

Hiccup nodded, grateful that Thor didn't feel inclined to laugh at his name like everyone else had. "You said you're looking for someone? My father is the Chief of Berk, maybe you should talk to him and he can help you."

"Hiccup!" Astrid snapped and yanked him away. She hissed in his ear, "This guy could be a lunatic and you want to bring him back to our village?"

"He could be a lunatic, yes, but if he really is the God of Thunder, do we want to offend him?"

Astrid glowered. "We don't know that for sure," she whispered, unaware that Thor could hear every word they were saying, and was quite amused about it too. "Are we just going to bend over and start worshipping the first guy that comes along in some fancy armour, holding a hammer and claiming to be Thor?"

"Well, no. But he is on Berk and he's shown us no ill will, so we should bring him to my dad either way. We can figure out later whether or not he's Thor."

"Fine," she muttered. "But it's on your head if this goes bad."

"What else is new?" Hiccup turned back to Thor as Astrid turned her attention to Stormfly, who was still chasing the chicken around in circles around the cove. "Uh...so...sir." He couldn't address him as Thor, he just couldn't. Even if the man possessed an exact likeness of Mjölnir, and looked very imposing in general. "We'll take you back to the village."

"I am most grateful for your hospitality, Hiccup," Thor replied, trying not to grin at the Vikings' discomfort.

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless in one well-practiced motion. He offered his hand to Thor, who eyed the dragon with some uncertainty. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Astrid mounting Stormfly as well.

"You mean to ride this creature?"

"It's safe. Toothless is very good with passengers."

"I shall take your word for it." Thor climbed on and did not even flinch as they rose into the air. _Interesting. My father never told me of any Vikings who were experienced in dragon-riding. It is almost unheard of, especially for a species like the humans._

With that in mind, he wasn't sure if he even hoped Loki was here or in another time period. Thor wanted more than anything to find him so they could return to Asgard with all haste. But if his brother caught wind of the fact that there were dragons here for him to subjugate and potentially use to conquer mankind, Thor knew that he would never want to leave.


	3. A Demonstration or Three

_Written by Incarnate Firefly and Aryea_

_Edited by Incarnate Firefly_

* * *

"You're stupid!"

"No, you're stupid!"

The twins clanged heads for the third time that day, following a petty squabble that was undoubtedly even more pointless than the previous two. Tuffnut put his finger in his ear, a little dazed from the reverberations.

"Hey! That was a good one. My ears are buzzing...wait, I think it's starting to make sense..."

"Idiot!" Ruffnut punched her brother straight to the floor, and was about to have at it with him when she noticed a crowd gathering around outside their house. She caught a glimpse of Toothless' tail, which meant that Hiccup had managed to stop his dragon's panicked escape hours earlier. Stormfly also swooped in with Astrid, who landed outside the crowd holding a very frightened-looking chicken.

Ruffnut frowned and peered over the crowd. "What's going on? What weird thing has Hiccup brought back this time?" She caught a glimpse of a tall, blonde man, easily standing head and shoulders above their friends, dismounting the Night Fury.

Tuffnut started to pull himself up off the ground. "I wasn't ready for that—oof!" Ruffnut's boot stomped over his stomach and then his head as she trampled over him to rush forward. "Hey!"

Ruffnut bowled over the crowd of people like a ball scattering a formation of pins and slid straight into the handsome, muscular stranger. Spinning, she threw her arms out and hissed at the others gathered there. "He's mine! Back off!"

"Gods," Hiccup sighed, stepping forward to discourage his concupiscent friend. "Ruff, really not the time to—hey!"

Ruffnut put her hand to his face and shoved him aside as she turned to look up at the magnificent man before her.

"Hi, I'm Ruffnut and I'm here to see to all your needs," Her eyes gleamed as she traced a finger over his armoured bicep. "And I do mean all of them..."

Thor smiled at her. "Thank you, fair maiden, I shall keep your offer in mind. Now, I believe we are here to see..."

"My father," Hiccup said pointedly as Astrid picked him up off the ground.

"Hiccup!" Ruffnut snapped. "He can't meet the Chief looking like this! He's all..." Her gaze narrowed as she undressed Thor with her eyes. "Dirty." She caught his large hand. "Come with me, I'll get you sparkling clean and..."

"Ruffnut!" Astrid firmly broke their contact and stood in front of Thor. "We don't have time for this!"

Ruffnut put her nose almost directly against the other girl's. "You chose your lot," she scowled, pointing to Hiccup. Both he and Astrid flushed, neither sure of how to respond. "This one's mine!"

"Wait a minute," Hiccup protested. "Ruffnut, you don't understand. You can't just—"

"Shut up, Hiccup," growled Astrid without looking at him. "He sees the Chief first, you can drool over him later."

"Ladies, please," Thor lifted his hands peaceably. He took Ruffnut's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. "Your attentions are much appreciated, Miss Ruffnut. However, I concur with Astrid that I must meet with your Chieftain first. Business before pleasure, I'm sure you understand."

Ruffnut fairly melted into a puddle, even as Astrid crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"Pleasure?" the twin squeaked. "I...I...I...s-sure...okay."

Thor smiled again as Toothless helped make a path through the crowd for them to walk through, and he followed Hiccup and Astrid up the hill. Most of the villagers were thinking about following suit but quickly reconsidered when Astrid fixed the lot of them with her "you don't want to be within ten feet of me right now" glare.

"Um...A-Astrid. What exactly did Ruff mean by choosing your—?" Hiccup began.

"Just shut up, Hiccup!"

Hiccup flushed and fell silent, missing the sympathetic look that Thor shot him.

Tuffnut finally managed to catch up to his sister. "What was that all about?" He noticed her dazed expression and the strange way she was holding her hand, and reached for it. "Hey, what's up with your hand?"

"Don't touch it!" she screamed and punched him with her other hand, and gently cradled to her chest the one her new dream man had kissed. "I'm never washing this hand again."

Her brother snorted. "How is that different from any other day...urk!" For the second time in as many minutes, his sister's kick landed him face first in the dirt.

···

Hiccup was very thankful that Stoick was alone when they reached the Great Hall. But it didn't lessen his nervousness any as he approached his father and tried to figure out how he was going to explain the situation convincingly.

As it happened, he simply ended up doing it his usual way, which meant saying it outright and waiting for the explosion.

"He's WHAT?!"

"Not what, dad. Who. And I know what you're thinking. Even if he isn't Thor, we should still help..."

Hiccup wouldn't have described Stoick's face as angry at that particular moment, but displeased wouldn't have justified it either. It was an odd combination of incredulous, sceptical, and even a touch aghast. Not the sort of expression usually associated with Berk's sturdy, fearless Chieftain. "I never said we should not help him, Hiccup. But for him to claim to be the God of Thunder is disrespectful not only to us, but to Thor himself! And you've been struck by lightning before, do you think it's wise to test Thor's patience like this—"

"That didn't have anything to do with Thor, remember?" Hiccup reminded him. "Besides, if it did, he would have known about it, because he's standing right in front of you."

Stoick glared at Thor, who could tell that the exchange wasn't really going well and wisely decided to remain silent. Beside him, Astrid was observing him closely, as if she could discern whether or not he really was the God of Thunder through his physical features.

"This isn't funny, Hiccup," Stoick reprimanded. "Now I don't know who this man is or why he's on Berk, but if this is one of your elaborate plans, it's not going to fool me."

"Dad, you make it sound like I trick you into doing things all the time!" Hiccup objected. "And I don't know how he got here, but he's definitely not around here. I mean, have you ever heard of windcraft and hinternets and tell-phones—"

Stoick frowned. "What?"

"He needs help finding someone, someone that could be a threat to Berk! Isn't that something we should be thinking about right now?"

Stoick shot the newcomer another look. "He could be up to anything. What if he was the threat, and this was all a trick?"

Thor was tired of this conversation that was going nowhere. He cleared his throat, and both father and son fell silent to look at him. "You wish for me to prove that I am Thor? Follow me!" He turned on his heel and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Wait, where are you going?" called Hiccup. "What are you going to do? Oh, great..." When he got no response, he hurried after him.

Stoick stared after them for a moment before he gave Astrid a very confounded look. She shrugged, and they followed as well, neither of them with any idea what was going on.

Hiccup soon caught sight of Thor, striding briskly through Berk and calling out to anyone he passed by to stop what they were doing and come with him. Curious villagers were peering out of their windows at the commotion and joined in.

Gobber, who was working at the forge as usual, peered up as he saw the stranger approaching the square. He put down his tools and hobbled over to Hiccup, who looked rather flustered. "Who's your new friend, Hiccup?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Hiccup muttered, well aware of what was about to happen next.

Thor finally stopped at the square and turned back to the crowd. "Stand back!" he commanded them. "I will need a wide berth for this ridiculous display."

More than a few of the villagers were confused by what was going on. As Stoick and Astrid caught up, the Chief cleared his throat. "You declare, stranger, to be the God of Thunder and Lightning. Then you must prove to us you are who you say." The crowd whispered amongst themselves, clearly stricken by Thor's bold claim. Stoick stepped up to him so that they were almost nose to nose. The Asgardian was impressed by the show of strength and will in the human's eyes. "I will warn that you if you cannot, you will be put to death for blasphemy."

"Dad!" Hiccup gasped, shocked.

"Does it have to be death?" Ruffnut interrupted. "Can't you just, like...make him my slave or something?"

Several of the village boys shivered.

"That's a fate worse than death!" Tuffnut protested, dodging the punch his sister aimed at him.

Stoick ignored them and held Thor's gaze. "What is it to be, then?"

Thor nodded, resigned. "Very well. I usually find such displays of power vulgar when unwarranted, but it is only fair that you ask for proof." He paused and glanced at Hiccup. "And once you are properly satisfied that I am of whom I speak, I would ask that that your son become my squire for the duration of my time here and answer only to my commands."

Hiccup paled and then flushed as a murmur rose once more around them. Even if this was the almighty Thor, why would he chose Hiccup for such a revered position?

"Don't get so excited," Astrid muttered in his ear. "He isn't Thor."

"Behold!" Thor called in a booming voice as he raised his hammer. "This is Mjölnir, the fabled hammer of Thor." He flipped it in the air a few times, swung it around, then set it on a nearby tree stump. "It is a weapon that not even the strongest of men are able to lift, unless the hammer deems them worthy of it." He stepped back and waved his hand forward. "Come and test your strength, my friends."

At first, no one stepped forward, eyeing the hammer as if it was cursed. A few of the villagers parted ways to allow Gothi to the forefront, and her expression became one of astonishment when she saw Thor.

Finally a small boy walked out of the crowd; the hammer was almost the size of him, but he gave it a few good tries. Mjölnir did not budge.

Snotlout sauntered forward boldly, eyeing the elegant yet seemingly liftable hammer with no small amount of confidence. "Watch this," he scoffed, gripping the handle with one hand. "Huh, heavier than I thought." He gripped it with both hands and pulled, then tried to brace his feet on either side. When that didn't work he tried pushing it forward, using his head, back and body. Finally, he gave one really hard yank and ended up toppling back into the crowd in an undignified heap.

Several other Vikings tried, including Mulch, Gobber, and even Stoick himself. Everyone watched in anticipation as their Chief approached the weapon. Hiccup could see his father's veins bulging from his arms and face as he pulled on it with all his might, and yet the hammer would not budge at all. "I can't lift it," he gasped, hunched over with his hands on his knees and sweat dripping down his face. Everyone began murmuring again in shock; Stoick was the strongest in the village, how could he not lift the hammer?

Thor glanced at Hiccup who was looking uneasy at the display. "Will you not try, young Hiccup?"

There was a smattering of chuckles.

"He can barely lift a regular hammer!" Snotlout taunted.

Thor's eyes narrowed on him. "Did you hurt yourself on your attempt?" he countered. "It is unworthy of one who has failed to disparage one who has not tried."

Snotlout grumbled and fell silent.

"Look, there's obviously a trick to it!" Astrid insisted. "Or maybe you're just really strong."

"Stronger than dad?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

Stoick couldn't help but grin when he saw Astrid flush. "I...I just mean..." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "There are people who are abnormally strong. It doesn't prove you're Thor!"

Thor placed one hand over his chin and regarded her quietly for a moment. Then he nodded, having come up with a decision. "Very well. If the maiden wishes for more proof, she shall have it." He spread his hands out. "If everyone could move back, please?" No one moved, having taken Astrid's point into consideration and becoming less impressed with the stranger by the second. He shrugged. "So be it." He raised Mjölnir over his head. "I call upon the power of thunder and lightning, who are obedient to none other but Thor himself!"

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but a split second later, a blinding flash caused many Vikings to shriek and dive for cover as lightning pierced the sky and struck the hammer in a dazzling display. Thor held the lightning for several seconds, then allowed it to dissipate. When he looked around him, he noticed that several of the villagers had passed out from shock. Hiccup had thrown himself on Astrid, then was covered by Stoick, followed by Toothless who used his body and wings to shield all three of them.

Thor chuckled. "My apologies. But I did warn you."

Toothless growled at him and leapt up, allowing the others to rise as well.

"H-How did you do that?" Astrid stammered as Hiccup offered her a hand up. They were both visibly shaken.

"Are you still not satisfied, Miss Astrid?" he asked. He started spinning his hammer as the villagers got back onto their feet, wondering what was going to happen now. "Very well, perhaps this will change your mind?" He caught her in one arm, and raised Mjölnir over his head again, and suddenly they skyrocketed into the air.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried. He immediately started to climb onto Toothless to give chase, only to be stopped by Stoick, who was rooted to the spot in astonishment.

"Wait, son."

Astrid's scream carried over the air, causing everyone to look up at the man and young girl flying over them. "OH MY GODS! NOT AGAIN! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY I DOUBTED YOU, OKAY?"

"Fear not, young mortal, you are in no danger," Thor assured her gently as they soared around Berk in circles. "I would not harm thee and risk the wrath of your beloved."

"M-m...my b...beee...what?"

"Young Hiccup. Is he not your betrothed?"

Despite the fact that she was flying through the air a hundred feet above the ground with nothing holding her up except a man with a hammer, Astrid flushed from the roots of her hair to her toenails. "No! Hiccup's not—we're...it isn't—it's not like that!"

"Ah. So your reservations are not cast only for me, then. A shame."

Thor brought them back to the square and landed smoothly, keeping a hold on Astrid in case her legs felt like giving way. Then he noticed that everyone had dropped to one knee with their heads bowed before him, including Stoick and Hiccup.

He sighed. At one time, he might have expected such displays, but now they only made him uncomfortable. "My good people, please rise. Do not bow to me."

"Great and mighty Thor, I ask on behalf of Berk for your forgiveness," Stoick muttered, his eyes cast down. "Punish us as you will for our doubt."

Thor put his hand on Stoick's shoulder. "I cannot, will not, punish such devotion. I ask instead that you be rewarded by treating me as an equal. Meet my gaze, noble Chieftain. We shall speak as men, as warriors. As equals. This is my wish."

Stoick slowly, humbly raised his head, then rose and stood proudly when Thor clasped his forearm. "Whatever you ask of us, we will do."

Thor nodded. "For this I am grateful, and we have much to discuss." Then he remembered the Viking beside him that was still gripping onto his arm like death.

Astrid, who had been silent the whole time trying to regain her composure, had finally managed to calm herself. Thor grinned at her and let her go. "Are you alright, Miss Astrid?"

"Sure, once my feet remember what it's like to be standing on solid ground again," she muttered. "Why is it that every time I say I don't believe something, people feel the need to kidnap me and fly me all over Berk to prove themselves?"

Thor raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing." She turned and examined him more closely. "I believe you now. But I think my mind is still trying to catch up to the idea that Thor is walking around Berk. Sorry if I'm not doing that whole bowing and worshipping thing. It hasn't hit me yet."

He shook his head. "There will not be any need for that, Miss Astrid. And besides," he added, turning his attention back to Stoick, "I believe I have more pressing matters to attend to."

This time, the Chief did not hesitate. "It's almost time for supper, Your Greatness. I would be honoured if you would join us. We could discuss what you need over a meal."

"Please, just call me Thor," the God of Thunder insisted. "And it would be my pleasure."

As Stoick led his revered guest back to the Great Hall with the entirety of Berk in tow, Thor followed closely behind the Chief with Hiccup (Astrid was giving him a wide berth at the moment). He ruffled the boy's hair. "And how will you see me now, my young squire?"

"As I always did." Hiccup met Thor's gaze. "As a friend."

Thor laughed. Here was the stuff of legends, in this small, thin frame, was a leader of men and perhaps even of gods. Such bold insight, such warm acceptance. It was rare to find someone as open-hearted as the boy standing before him, even in the most godly of realms.

As they neared the Great Hall, he remembered something. "I never told you that the person I'm looking for is a threat to your people."

Hiccup shrugged. "You didn't need to. I could tell by the way you sounded when you mentioned him."

"You're quite a perceptive individual, Hiccup," Thor said, impressed. "I am glad you are helping me with my predicament."

"I'm glad I can be of help," Hiccup replied. "Just warn me the next time you're going to take Astrid for a joyride, okay? I've already done that once to her and I don't think she would appreciate it becoming a recurring thing."

Thor was quite amused by this. "Ah, so it was you she was referring to. You must tell me the story sometime. When your affianced isn't around to hear it, of course."

"She's not my affianced!" Hiccup protested, his face turning redder than a Monstrous Nightmare on fire.

Thor laughed. Some things about humans never changed, regardless of time period, place, or culture.

* * *

**[Author's Note]**  
Loki returns in the next chapter! Stay tuned!


	4. An Oath From a God

**[Author's Note]**  
Sorry about the long wait! It's been a real hectic winter, with numerous attempts by Aryea and myself to get this story rolling again. Consider this story officially off hiatus, though there may be a bit of a wait between chapters since both of us are currently working on other stories as well. Anyway, this chapter's a bit longer than the previous two, so we hope you like it!

* * *

_Written by Aryea and Incarnate Firefly_

_Edited by Incarnate Firefly_

* * *

"This is a fine feast, Chieftain," Thor complimented as he surveyed the plates of roast chicken, vegetables, breads, fruits and cheese that covered the small table at the Chief's house.

"Well, we're to give thanks to Hiccup for our meal, Thor."

Thor smiled broadly. "So, my young squire is a cook as well?" He noticed Hiccup flush as the boy set his ale before him on the table. "Do all your people display such fine diversity in their traits, from strength to kindness, from warriors to chefs?"

Stoick chuckled. He had opted for them to have dinner at his home for two reasons. One, because Thor needed to discuss important matters that should not, for the time being, be revealed to the whole of Berk, and two, because they could not seem to get a moment's peace when they initially tried eating in the Great Hall; people were constantly interrupting them to speak with their god, or to request a blessing of some sort.

Also invited were Astrid and Gobber, the two people Stoick knew could be trusted with whatever Thor had to tell them. Toothless was perched in the rafters above them, watching curiously as the humans ate.

"We are glad you are pleased, Thor," the Chieftain replied as Hiccup set the drinks on the table and then took his place to the left of his father. Gobber sat at Stoick's right, while Thor sat beside the blacksmith and Astrid was next to Hiccup. "But outside of the women in our tribe, Hiccup is one of the few men who can cook well. He also does all his own stitching, and most of mine as well."

Gobber winked and shot Hiccup a cheeky grin. "Yes, he'll make a great wife someday."

Hiccup glared at him. "You were the one who taught me to cook, Gobber."

"Oh, aye, so I did. But the fact tha' you can handle a ladle better than an axe is no reason to despair." The blacksmith pointed at the young woman across from him with his hook. "For instance, if you were to marry Astrid, she can go out an' fight, an' you can keep the house."

"Gobber!" Astrid hissed and flushed almost as brightly as Hiccup, but before anyone could reprimand him, a long black tail came down from the rafters and smacked Gobber in the head, knocking him off his chair.

"Toothless!" Hiccup scolded, even as he tried not to laugh.

Thor smiled and gave Gobber a hand up. "I believe insulting Hiccup while his dragon is about is not in the best interest of your health, my friend."

"'S okay," Gobber assured and settled back in his chair. "I'm used to it." He glanced up at Toothless. "It was just a joke, ya ruddy beast!"

"Are there any dragons where you come from, Thor?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't believe so. On Asgard we have some great and terrible beasts that are similar in nature, but they would never be coerced to be ridden. There are dragons in two of the nine realms, as far as I am aware, but I've never had the privilege of seeing one up close. They are rather antisocial creatures and would burn the flesh off of you at first greeting." He smiled up at Toothless. "Which is why I am so delighted to befriend one so friendly as Toothless here."

Toothless rumbled in appreciation, then eyed the cheese on Thor's plate expectantly. When the god tossed it to him, he gobbled it up in one bite and smacked his lips.

"No eating from the table," Stoick scolded Toothless, causing the dragon's ears to flatten in response. "Get down from there and go sit in your corner."

Toothless whined but hopped down and curled up just under the front window, staring at them plaintively.

"He didn't mean it, Dad," Hiccup reassured him. "He has a weakness for cheese."

"It matters not, Hiccup. I'll not have him begging for scraps while we have guests."

Thor regarded both the boy and dragon sympathetically. The beast listened well, but seemed almost human in its penance and Hiccup's expression seemed to mirror that of his dragon. "Tis not his fault, but my own for indulging him, Stoick."

Stoick sighed and gestured to Toothless. "Come, over here by me and out of the way."

The dragon fairly crawled to him and sat obediently between the Chief and his rider. His wide green eyes stared imploringly at Stoick.

"He's givin' ye the eye, Chief," Gobber chuckled.

Stoick sighed. "It's like having two children in the house at times," He dropped his hand on Toothless' head for a quick rub. "Alright then, settle down now. You're a part of this family, so behave like it."

Toothless, pleased by the recognition and the show of affection, licked Stoick's face, then turned three times in a circle and settled down in a tired huff by the fire.

Hiccup handed his father a towel to wipe off the dragon's saliva. "Sorry, Dad."

"Harumph." Stoick wiped vigorously at his face. "Enough of the niceties," He said as he picked up his ale. "Pardon me, Thor, but I believe we should get to the matter at hand. Why are you here and who is it you are looking for?"

Thor nodded. "As you know, I am from Asgard. Some time ago, my ancestors discovered a great object of power called the Tesseract. It is of ancient magic and is impossible to destroy. My brother recently Loki sought allegiance with the Chitauri, a serpent-like race raised from birth to conquer other races. He used the Tesseract to open a portal in the sky and allow a Chitauri army to enter Midgard."

"Was it a mighty battle?" Stoick asked, captivated by his own Viking craving for such tales.

"Mighty does not even begin to describe it, Stoick. There were many lives lost, and much destruction. The Chitauri army threatened to overwhelm us, for every few we managed to fell, a dozen more came through the portal. With the aid of my new companions we were able to hold Loki and his army at bay, yet we were unable to secure their defeat. With such short numbers, we knew it was only a matter of time before we lost."

"Then how did you defeat them?" Astrid asked.

Thor's eyes grew distant as he recalled the instant the tide turned. "It was the lone deed of a very brave man, a man of iron that risked his life to close the portal."

"He replaced all of his body with iron?" Gobber asked incredulously.

Thor laughed. "Replaced? His body was whole, my friend, not in pieces."

"It was a suit," Hiccup realized, staring down at his food thoughtfully. "He didn't replace an arm or a leg with iron, he wore a suit that was made of it. Battle armour that covered his entire body." He lifted his gaze to Thor's, saw a glimmer of surprised pride in the god's blue eyes. "Right?"

"Very good, Hiccup." Thor nodded. "Yes, he wore a suit of armour that protected him and gave him great power. Still, he was not invincible, and the risk he took to save Midgard was a great one. He very nearly perished in his attempt."

"So...how did he do it?"

"The humans had fired an explosive device at the city where the battle was fought, an unfathomable weapon that would decimate all who remained there, including the innocent people that were trapped within the city where the battle raged."

"Is such a weapon even possible?" Stoick asked, appalled.

"Possible indeed, though why one would risk creating one such as that I cannot say. To kill one's own people, and to char the land so thoroughly that nothing living could ever thrive there again..." Thor shook his head.

Hiccup frowned. "Why would anyone try to kill their own people and destroy the land as well?"

"It is beyond my understanding as well. The weapon was discharged, and Iron Man took it upon himself to not only end the battle, but to also save the lives his own people had deemed inconsequential. So he captured the great weapon, carried it on his back, and pointed it at the portal itself."

"But you said the portal was in the sky," Astrid pointed out. "How did he...?"

"Reach it?" Thor guessed. "He flew, of course."

"In a suit of iron?" she asked in disbelief. Even Hiccup, the inventor of the group, looked a bit skeptical.

"My friends, you would not believe the things that your people are capable of creating. Although it is my understanding that Iron Man's suit was among one of the more extraordinary creations even by their standards."

"I'll bet," Hiccup said thoughtfully, the cogs in his mind already turning at the idea of a flying suit. He had been, in the last few weeks, constructing a sturdy leather vest to keep himself warm while on high-altitude flights with Toothless. And if he could somehow use it to keep himself airborne without his dragon...

"So did this Iron Man succeed?" Stoick asked, clearly more interested in the battle than the scientifics.

Thor nodded. "It was a brave and noble act. However, we were concerned that with the portal closed he would not have the chance to return to Midgard. But I think he was well aware of this, and still he went forth."

Gobber, an obviously sensitive soul, wiped discreetly at his right eye. "Aye, a warrior worthy of the great blessings of Odin."

"He was, of that there is no doubt. We did not have much time before the weapon detonated, and with the portal open, the blast would still reach the city. So we had no choice but to close it." Thor paused for effect, as all good storytellers did, then continued. "And then, just as there was but a pinhole of an opening left, we saw him emerge."

Astrid clapped her hands excitedly. "He made it back!"

"So he had!" Thor leaned forward. "We noticed right away that he was not flying of his own power, but was falling. He was not awake and showed no signs of stopping as his body neared the hard, unforgiving surface of Midgard."

The Vikings listened in silence, not aware that they were holding their breaths. The food before them lay forgotten.

"I lifted Mjölnir, intent on soaring up to save him, then from nowhere a large hulking green man intercepted our fallen comrade! With Iron Man in one arm, he latched on with one massive hand and slid down a structure of glass and mortar, leaping and bounding from one to the other and then used his own body to protect Iron Man as they hit the ground with a resounding crash!"

"Wow," Astrid whispered.

"Why was he green?" Hiccup asked, puzzled.

"He suffered from a great affliction that turned him from a mortal man into a massive green giant. It is of science, not a curse, and I do not understand how it works. His name was Bruce, yet when he was the monster, they called him Hulk."

"Hulk. Sounds like a grand name for a Viking!" Gobber chuckled and slapped Stoick on the back. "Maybe you should have given that name to Hiccup, eh?"

"Thanks, but no," Hiccup retorted. "'Horrendous' is bad enough."

"Can we get back to the story?" Astrid demanded. To Thor, she asked. "What happened to Iron Man? Was he dead?"

"He did not move, and we thought his valiant effort had cost him his life. It was a moment of great sadness for all of us. Then, the Hulk yelled at him, and suddenly he awoke. It was a glorious moment! We had won the battle and he had survived his brave act to destroy the portal."

"That's awesome," Hiccup admitted. "So...what happened to the army left behind?"

"The Chitauri crumpled like paper dolls, as they must keep in contact with their mothership. When the portal was closed, their connection was severed. It was just a matter of cleaning up the bodies."

"And Loki?" Stoick asked.

"I was in the process of bringing Loki back to Asgard to face punishment for his crimes. While we were in the portal, something unusual occurred and I lost my grip on him. The next thing I knew I found myself here."

"Are you sure that Loki is even here? Perhaps he could have landed on another island, or another world entirely?"

"I do not believe so. We both were within the portal stream, so I believe that we must both have landed here."

"What about your friends?" Hiccup suggested. "The Hulk and the Iron Man, is there a way you can ask them to come here?"

"Alas, that would be fortunate, but I have no way of contacting them. Even if I did, it was Loki who caused such devastation to their world, and I do not wish to risk their lives further. They have already done far more than anyone could ask of them."

"Yet you need our help," Stoick pointed out. "Vikings who are small in number, who have no extraordinary talents or the great inventions that your allies have at their disposal."

Thor's brow furrowed. "I know, my friend, and it pains me to ask your service. I don't wish to put you or your people in danger, but I know not what sort of place this is. You would know better than I where I might find my brother."

"Why would Loki, a prince of Asgard, even do all of this?" Hiccup asked. It was still strange to comprehend that Loki, a powerful being that all Vikings knew and feared, was walking among them like a common man.

"That is a fair question," Thor admitted. "I grew up with Loki, he is...was my most beloved brother. I was often caught up in my own affairs and never noticed that a hidden darkness festered inside of his heart. You have all probably heard the tales of Loki and his devious ways, but I do not wish for you to believe he was always this way. There were circumstances that changed him, and I, as well as many others, were blind to that change."

"It happens sometimes," Stoick assured him gruffly, remembering how close he had once been to Alvin.

"It is not the first time Loki has shown his true colours, yet I still must believe that there is good in him." Thor sighed, heavily. "However, my wish to have the brother I loved returned has twice now caused irrevocable harm to others. He is a very powerful and dangerous adversary, and if he is on your island, I must insist that no one approach him."

"Then how is it we can assist you?"

"I require only your Vikings' eyes and ears, Chieftain. With your dragons and their riders, it may benefit in finding Loki faster, but I ask only that he be found and not confronted. Anyone who does find him or believes he has knowledge of where he is should come to me. I will risk no one's life but my own to defeat my brother."

"Well, as an outsider he will not be difficult to spot, but there are so many islands around us, he could be on any of them. And we have several representations of Loki, so I am sure if I tell everyone who we are looking for..."

"Um...Dad," Hiccup interrupted. "Maybe we shouldn't tell them exactly who we're looking for. At least, not yet."

Stoick regarded his son quietly, then nodded in agreement. "You're right, Hiccup. If word got out that Loki is here, it could start a panic."

"Agreed," said Thor. "And I should warn you, Loki is capable of taking on the appearance of whatever he can think of. Still, it would be better to put your people on the alert for any suspicious activity. A basic description should also help, but for now we shall call him...Lester."

"Lester, yes. That will do."

"Good. Now, to the second matter, the Tesseract."

"You said it has great power, but what kind of power?" Hiccup asked.

"It has several effects, many of which are unspeakably terrible. It can cause destruction in more ways than you can imagine. Very few understand this power, and even fewer can control it. I doubt even Loki, for all the havoc he wreaked, has unlocked its full potential."

"So it kills people?" Astrid, returning her attention to her chicken leg.

"Easily, if the wielder of the power wishes it. Loki also used it for mind control."

Gobber paused in the middle of chewing his food. "Mind control? What in the name of Odin is that?"

"Gobber!" Stoick barked.

"Sorry, old habit. Apologies, Thor."

"It's when someone forces you to do something, anything they want, against your will."

Every head turned away from Thor in unison, because it wasn't him who answered, but Hiccup.

"That is exactly right," Thor affirmed grimly.

"Okay, for my next question," Gobber began and spoke directly to his apprentice. "How do _you_ know something like that?"

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably as he recalled one of the worst days of his life, the day that still gave him nightmares. "The Red Death," he murmured. "The queen dragon. She was forcing the other dragons to bring her food and they couldn't disobey." He poked at his food, unable to look up at the others as a familiar phantom pain throbbed in his missing leg.

"It's true," Astrid agreed. "We saw it when Toothless took us to her nest. It was like she could call all the dragons to her on a whim." She reached under the table and sympathetically squeezed Hiccup's hand. He gave her a small smile of gratitude. "It was horrible."

Stoick shook his head. "If Loki has this weapon, then I don't know if my people can stand against him."

"We know not yet if he does have it. The Tesseract was sealed inside a special container, it was meant to bring us back to our world. But Loki obviously managed to sabotage it and it put us here instead. The container is silver in color, about two feet wide, and if the Tesseract is still inside of it, it will glow bright blue with power."

"So, we hav' ta find Loki and this Tesseract?" Gobber huffed. "Not askin' much, are ya?"

A sadness entered Thor's expression. "I am, in fact, asking more than I should. But you and your people are my only hope of finding both Loki and the Tesseract, and returning him to Asgard to face his crimes."

Stoick nodded, resolute. "Whatever you require of me to defeat Loki, I will aid you."

"So will I," said Hiccup without hesitation.

"Me too," added Astrid.

Gobber shrugged. "Aye, I'll do as much as an old blacksmith with two missing limbs can do."

"And if we must do battle with Loki, then so be it," said Stoick firmly. He looked from the others and back to Thor. "I ask only that if it comes to that, you will protect my people by any means necessary. That applies for our dragons as well."

"This I will do gladly," Thor replied. "I swear on it."

"Very well then, Thor, son of Odin. We are yours to command."

···

Loki awoke with a pounding head, a throbbing body and flat on his back looking up at the sky. He frowned as he watched a fluffy white form drift across a clear blue sky. He was not in his intended destination; there were no clouds on Mazeron. Had Thor somehow figured out his plan and stopped him? Perhaps he had underestimated his shortsighted brother.

He scowled as a large bird flew overhead and dropped a glob of white goo on the chest of his pristine green and black war coat. He glared at the feathered fiend; definitely wrong realm. He sat up, irritated at his limited movements and regarded at a barren looking landscape of rocks, quarries and the odd tree scattered here and there. It took him a couple more minutes to get to his feet, and when he did he shook back his hair and pulled out a small black vial that had been woven into his hair.

Dropping the vial on the ground, he smashed it with his foot. A glowing blue chip about the size of his thumbnail released a thin line of blue energy upwards. It was because he had this piece of the Tesseract in his possession that he was able to change their course and keep them from going to Asgard. Except something had obviously gone wrong.

As the illuminated, razor-thin wire continued to pulse, Loki carefully held the chains on his wrists over the beam and it immediately cut through his bonds. With his hands free, he recovered the use of his powers and the rest of his bonds quickly disappeared. "Ah, much better," he said and waved his fingers over the stain on his coat, just as the same gull that made a pass earlier cried out from above. He flicked his wrist and the bird burst into flame. A mild trail of ash and a stray white feather floated down.

Pulling out his dagger from a small, hidden scabbard in the back of his coat, he slammed the tip down on the glowing chip, curled his hands around it and began muttering an incantation. A whirl of wind blew up around him. His arms trembled with the exertion of keeping his hands on the handle and the blade against that small chip on the ground as he repeated the words, over and over until they became a chant.

Sweat streaked down his brow, pain clawed through his insides as the strong, greedy pull of incredible power from even this tiny piece of the Tesseract. It ripped at his straining muscles, amplified the pounding of his heart to the pressure of a freight train and threatened to carve out his brain from underneath his skull.

Finally, the wind died down, the thin line dissipated and the blade of the dagger glowed a pure, dazzling blue. Loki slumped sideways, gasping, covered in sweat and horribly nauseated.

After several moments, he used his broken mouth guard to form a new scabbard for the dagger and attached it to his waist, then turned at a strange noise behind him.

A massive winged creature with green black scales and wide, purple breast stood before him. It's long, wide snout held razor sharp teeth, and it stood on only two enormous claw-like feet that appeared to have nails as long and as lethal as a katana.

"Well, well. What manner of beast are you?"

It huffed and a plume of black smoke rose from its nostrils, then it charged him without warning. Loki quickly teleported his real body atop one of the smaller rock hills a few feet away and watched the animal bulldoze through his holographic image. From behind he could see a long, sweeping tail of black spikes.

"Are you a dragon?" he asked, intrigued as the beast turned and blew out an explosion of red and green flames that immediately charred the desolate landscape, only to finding his prey had escaped once again. "Oh, I like you."

When the dragon changed course and charged once more in the direction Loki had teleported to, the God of Mischief leapt over the creature's head, and touched the tip of the Tesseract infused dagger to the elongated snout.

Immediately, the glowing red eyes of the dragon turned a mellow, surreal blue. It dropped to the ground, then slowly lowered his head so that Loki could step off.

"We don't have anything like you were I come from." Loki turned and placed his hand against the dragon's lowered head. "You will do nicely."

The dragon appeared to agree and huffed another plume of smoke.

"Let's have a look around this rock, shall we? See if we can find any toys to play with."

Wherever he was, he had a feeling that Thor wouldn't be far off; already on the search for him, no doubt. And this time, Loki had no intentions of being captured again.

···

Astrid and Gobber returned to their homes shortly after dinner, leaving Thor to make plans with the Chieftain and his son. It was very late into the night by the time that Hiccup decided to call it a night.

"We'll have to finish planning tomorrow," he said, stifling a yawn. "There are still too many variables for us to figure out right now."

Thor frowned. "I had hoped we could set out tonight. Loki could be up to anything right now."

"And we'll stand a better chance against him when we're properly rested and have clear minds," Hiccup insisted. "We can't go on tirelessly like you, Thor. We're only human."

The God of Thunder thought of his companions on Earth; Tony Stark, who steered a nuclear missile with his own two hands to save New York; Captain Rogers, who pushed himself past every limit that Loki or S.H.I.E.L.D. or his own body set on him; Phil Coulson, who faced down Loki to protect Thor. But as he took in Hiccup's anxious, tired features, he decided that the boy was right. Both he and Stoick were clearly just as concerned for the villagers as Thor was, if not more, and their drastically different upbringing from the Avengers' meant that acting hastily would only get them killed.

Thor glanced to Stoick, who hadn't said a word but was waiting for his response. He gave the Chief a nod of affirmation. "Alright then, we shall resume our plans tomorrow. I will find you when you are ready." He got up and opened the door.

"Thor, where are you going?" said Stoick suddenly. "You haven't a place to stay for the night."

"That's quite alright, my friend," said Thor. "I will simply retire to the cove where I first arrived."

Stoick snorted. "Like Hel. It's my duty to make sure my guests are comfortable on Berk, and that goes double for you. I'm offering you my home tonight."

"You are most kind," Thor said. "But I do not wish to impose upon you or your son."

"Stay the night, Thor," Hiccup said wearily. "Even if you don't need to sleep, at least you'll have somewhere to wait until morning."

Thor smiled, genuinely touched by the Vikings' generosity. "If you must insist, my friends. Thank you."

Hiccup only nodded in response, and stirred Toothless awake before wordlessly heading upstairs. Stoick didn't follow, and instead settled into the armchair by the fire with a heavy sigh. It looked like Berk was in for more trouble, just when things were starting to return to normal again.

Thor closed the door quietly, taking in the interior's details with a warm smile. As the sound of Toothless' thumping movements faded away upstairs, Thor asked, "Will you not get some rest, Chieftain?"

Stoick shook his head silently.

Thor's smile disappeared. "I am sorry to bring trouble to your doorstep, Stoick. I hope to apprehend Loki before he causes harm to your people."

The Viking waved a dismissive hand. "It wasn't your fault you ended up here. It's just a lot to take in is all. It's not every day the God of Thunder ends up in your village."

"But you are concerned about Loki coming here," Thor persisted. Stoick looked down.

"Aye. My people are strong, courageous. To follow you into battle would be an honour for them. But if he was able to enter a world of people much more advanced than we are, kill so many without effort, come so close to conquering them...it makes me wonder if we'll even stand a chance."

Thor was silent. From what he had observed from his short time here, Berk was a small village that held its strength in its loyalty. For all their customs and brusque way of life, there was compassion present for one another. And Thor himself had learned just a year ago how a single act of compassion could turn the tables on a hopeless situation.

Finally, he said, slowly, "After my father found Loki abandoned in the Frost Giants' temple, he brought him back to Asgard and told me, 'We killed them because they would die before they yield for their crimes. But he is as innocent as you are, son. Call him your brother from this day forth, and let him remind you that even in our darkest hours, there can be a chance for something better to live on'." A distant look grew in Thor's eyes as he recalled the memory. "I was a child at the time, and did not understand fully. But now I have seen what Loki is capable of, and this time I will not hesitate to stop him by any means. When I leave Berk, whether I have Loki subdued or his body slung over my shoulder, we will leave with your people alive and well. You have my word."

Stoick nodded, looking a bit more encouraged by the words. "Loki is on his own this time," he observed.

"He is," Thor agreed. "The Chitauri have been defeated for the time being, and their master will not find us here. And you have the dragons."

The Chief's brow tightened, having remembered something. "They weren't always on our side, you know. Until a year ago or two, we've been at war with them for generations."

"Really?" Thor paced along the wall, closely examining the various objects placed on the shelves. "I imagined they were a species that would take some persuading when it came to peace, but I did not know it was so recent."

"The houses you see in the village are the oldest they've ever been," Stoick said, gesturing around them. "Dragon attacks, every week. That was how it was. Sometimes we'd capture a few and lock them in the arena so we could learn how to kill them. Every day was constantly fraught with danger, and there aren't many in the village who haven't lost someone to the dragons."

Thor paused before a small painting of a young woman with long auburn hair and large blue-green eyes. "Your wife?" he asked quietly.

There was a touch of sadness in Stoick's expression now. "Valka. The dragons killed her when Hiccup was just a few months old."

"And have you forgiven them?" Thor asked.

The Chieftain was silent for a moment. "Not at first," he admitted, staring down at his hands. "After we made peace, the entire village was suspicious of them for the first few weeks. But I know these dragons weren't responsible for what happened to Val. And ever since Hiccup freed them from the Red Death, I couldn't turn a blind eye to how much he loved them...and how much they loved him in return."

"Hiccup never mentioned that he defeated the queen dragon," said Thor, raising an eyebrow. "Though I suppose I should not be surprised."

"I nearly lost him that day," Stoick said quietly, disturbed by the images conjured by the troublesome memory. "But it wasn't me who saved him. It was Toothless. Hiccup sees him as family, and so I do as well." He looked up to meet Thor's gaze. "You have sworn to defend my people, Thor. You have taken my son under your guidance. I am counting on you to keep him safe. If I die while throwing myself upon Loki, then I will face death willingly. But he cannot, _must_ not bring harm to Hiccup. He is Berk's future, and mine."

"This I know," Thor said solemnly. "And to this I will swear an oath for your ears only." Clasping the Chieftain's hand firmly, he said, "I will protect your son no matter what happens to me. And if I am fated to fall by Loki's hand, then I will drag him to Hel with me to keep him from taking Hiccup's life."


End file.
